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R.N.R.PHELPS.

FLOAT FOR WATER GAGES:

No. 340,456. Patented Apr; 20, 1886.-

W1 TJVESS-E' UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

RICHARD N. R. PHELPS, F NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE N E\V YORK SAFETY GAGE COMPANY.

FLOAT FOR WATER-GAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 340,456, dated April 20, 1886. Application filed December 18, 1885. Serial No. 186,090. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: der it difficult oftentimes, even under favor- Be itknown that I, RICHARD N. R. PHELPS, able conditions as to light, to distinguish the a citizen of the United States, and a resident true water-line. of New York, in the county of New York and The advantages of a transparent gage-tube State of New York, haveinvented certain new over an opaque tube, combined with external and useful Improvements in Water-Gages for indicating devices, are sulliciently obvious to Steam-Boilers and Floats Therefor, of which need no comment. the following is a specification. I construct my float, which is marked D- in My invention relates to gages for indicating the several views, of thin metal, and preter- 6o :0 the level of the water in steam-boilers; and it ably in the form of an elongated cylinder, has for its object the production of a gage of about six or eight times greater in length than the character mentioned, which may be dein diameter, and of sufticientlength to prevent pended upon at all times and under all cirit from turning the curve and passing through cumstances to distinctly indicate the height of the pipe B into the boiler. I 5 the water-line in the boiler. When properly made and seen rely sealed, The invention is hereinafter described, and so as to be air-tight, a metallic float of the the features of novelty for which protection is character described will maintain a position in desired are pointed out in the claims at the the water in the tube with its upper end just end of this specification. on a line with the surface of the water, and 70 g In the accompanying drawings, which form will rise and fall with the changes of the waa part of this description, and in which like ter-level in the boiler. parts are indicated by like letters, Figure 1 is In the construction of a glass float it is very a side elevation, partly in section, of aportion difficult to obtain the required size and insure of a steam-boiler provided with a water-gage. the necessary strength of material to resist the 7 5 2 5 Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the float. Figs. usual steam-pressurewithontaddingso largely 3 and 4 are top plan views of other embodito the weight of the float as to render it (liftiments of the float. Fig. 5 is a vertical section cult to be floated. of still another embodiment of the float; and \Vhile it is obvious that a roundor pear- Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the water-gage, shaped glass float is not liable to adhere to the 80 showing the valves in the pipes which connect surface of the gage-tube, the use of such a float the gage to the boiler, as well as the blow-off is not practicable in the ordinary steam-boiler cock at the lower end of the gage. gage-tube, sinceitcannotbe made large enough Referring to the drawings, A represents a to insure its being floated. steam-boiler, and B B the pipes, by which the I overcome the above-mentioned difficulties 85 5 gage-tube O is connected to the boiler. The incident to the use of glass floats by the empipes B B and gage-tube G, with their connecployment of a float of thin metal, constructed tions, are of the usual construction. substantially as hereinbefore stated. WVhile The gage-tube O is of transparent.material, such a metallic float performs its function with preferably of glass, and it is secured in position general accuracy, actual experience showsthat, o between the pipes B B by steam and water owing to the lightness necessary to make it tight joints. The tube 0 is of the usual diinenfloat, it is apt to adhere to the sides of the glass sions, and its function is, as indicated, to disgage, so that the retreating level in the boiler play the water-level within the boiler. Ordileaves the float sticking against the gage rather narily, these tubes are employed without any than floating upon the Water. To provide 5 contained device adapted to rise and fall with against this contingency, I place upon the end the changes of the water-level within the boilof the float a guard or guards, so as to prevent er; but, when thus employed, theyimpert'ectly the surface of the cylindrical float from apserve as indicators of the true condition of the proachingthe surface of the gage-tube. Should height of the water in the boiler, as sedimentthis guard project at right angles to thelength 1o ary matter in the water and dust from without of the float, it would be apt to catch in the will adhere to the surface of the glass and renspaces between the glass tube and the packing in the stuifing-boxes. To prevent this, I so bend or twist this guard or train it down against the sides of the float as to prevent it from catching should the water carry the float to the top of the tube. This guard maybe of various forms. In Fig. 4 it is shown in the form of pieces of wire, a, soldered at the top of the float D and projecting a short distance beyond the surface of the float. These wires should be bent downward or upward, so as to prevent them from catching in the stuifingboxes, as before explained. In Fig. 2 the wires (1 are soldered, as in Fig. 4, and then bent down, as shown, until their ends come in contact with the surface of the float. In Fig. 3 the guards a are integral with the cap of the float, and may be twisted in the form shown. The float shown in the gage-tube of Fig. 1 is provided with guards similar to those shown in Fig. 2, but their ends, after being bent downward,are turned outward in the manner shown. In Fig. 5 the float D is shown provided with weights, for the purpose of weightingits lower end, with the effect of preventing the possibility of the adhesion of its upper end to the sides of the glass gage-tube. Any of these described means as a safeguard against the adhesion of the float to the gage-tube may be employed in carrying out my invention, and they will all operate equally satisfactorily.

As shown in Fig. 6, the pipes B B are fitted with valves or cocks E E, of any desirable pattern, to open and close at will communication between the water and steam spaces of the boiler and the gage-tube C. At the lower end of the tube 0 the coupling is provided with a cock, F, which is adapted to be opened, to permit the gage-tube and connections to be blown out for the purpose of cleaning the same.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A transparent gage-tube of ordinary type, with unobstructed interior, provided with boiler-connections having valves, as explained, combined with an elongated cylindrical float, of thin metal, provided with a guard, substantially as set forth.

2. An elongated cylindrical float, of metal, provided with a wire guard at one ofits ends and bent over or trained down along its sides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York-and State of New York, this 30th day of November, A. D. 1885.

RICHARD N. R. PHELPS.

\Vitnesses:

J. E. M. BOWEN, D. FRANK Room 

